Gnophodes betsimena
Encyclopedia
The Banded Evening Brown (Gnophodes betsimena) is a butterfly
of the Nymphalidae
family. It is found in southern Africa
.
The wingspan
is 55-65 mm for males and 60-70 for females. Adults are probably on wing year round, but usually from March to August (with peaks from April to June).
The larvae feed on various grasses, including Ehrharta erecta
, Panicum deustum and Setaria
species.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
family. It is found in southern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 55-65 mm for males and 60-70 for females. Adults are probably on wing year round, but usually from March to August (with peaks from April to June).
The larvae feed on various grasses, including Ehrharta erecta
Ehrharta erecta
Ehrharta erecta is a species of grass also known as panic veldtgrass. The species is native to Southern Africa and Yemen. It is a documented invasive species in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, southern Europe, and China....
, Panicum deustum and Setaria
Setaria
Setaria is a genus of grasses in the Poaceae family.-Selected species:* Setaria cernua Kunth* Setaria dielsii R.A.W.Herrm.* Setaria faberi R.A.W.Herrm.* Setaria incrassata Hack. – Vlei Bristle Grass...
species.
Subspecies
- Gnophodes betsimena betsimena (Madagascar)
- Gnophodes betsimena parmeno Doubleday, [1849] (western Kenya (west of the Rift Valley) to Ethiopia, Uganda, southern Sudan, Zaire, Angola, Cameroon, West Africa)
- Gnophodes betsimena diversa Butler, 1880 (eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, Malawi, Tanzania, eastern Kenya, northern Kenya (Mount Marsabit)) - Yellow Banded Evening Brown